Scott's Photographica Collection

Photographic Technology Patents

This page presents a number of patents, many of which represent important historical milestones in the development of photography.

Like many collectors I've accumulated a large reference library of catalogs, price guides, magazines, books, advertisements, instruction manuals, collector's association journals - you name it. Happily,
on occasion, I find an item that I can't locate in any of
these sources. It doesn't happen often enough, but when it does occur I
become obsessed to learn something about the item's history.

I've found patents to be an invaluable research tool when all else fails.
As one example I was able to identify a strange looking object that I was sure was photographic, but
looked like some kind of medical device. I showed this object to other collectors. The consensus opinion was it must be an accessory self-timer. After searching the US Patent and Trademark Office Web site for an hour I had my answer.
It is an early camera self-timer attachment patented in 1902
by Robert Faries of Decatur, Illinois. Links to the patent drawings and description of the self-timer
are on this page.

To view a patent, click a link. This will launch a patent viewer in a new browser window.
Expand the window to full screen for best operation. Use the Next and Prev(ious) buttons to view successive pages
of the patent you've selected. The patent images
were downloaded from the USPTO Web site and converted to .gif file format for
presentation by conventional browsers.

If you would like a high resolution image of one of these patents,
let me know. I would be happy to email this to
you.

B.
A. Slocum - Shutter Releasing Device, 1901 (Self-timer)
I believe this to be the first USA patent for a camera self-timer.
An interesting feature is it relies upon a lit fuse for operation. I
do not know if this device was marketed. Please contact me if you
have information about this self-timer.

G. Eastman and F. M. Cossitt
- Detective Camera, 1886This detective camera patented by George
Eastman and F. M. Cossitt predates the Original Kodak introduced in 1888. It is said
a small number were manufactured for sale. Eastman decided the camera
would be too expensive and halted production. Look at the very strange shutter mechanism. If you've had the opportunity to examine an
Original Kodak, you may notice that some of the concepts in the detective camera design were carried over to the original and later Kodaks.

W. Schmid - Photographic Camera, 1883 (Schmid Detective Camera)
The Schmid Detective camera is historically important because it was the first hand-held instantaneous camera manufactured for sale. Prior to its introduction, cameras required
the use of a tripod or similar support. This camera relied upon newly introduced rapid dry plate
"film". These plates were fast enough that a tripod was not required in bright daylight.

I think the most significant technological advance in the Schmid patent was the introduction of a waist-level reflex viewfinder. This allowed the photographer to view the subject while
hand-holding the camera. Prior to this development viewing the subject was a cumbersome process that required the photographer to switch back and forth between inserting a ground glass screen for focus and viewing, and a glass plate
for exposure.

This camera was
patented by William Schmid of Brooklyn, New York USA. The patent rights were assigned to E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., New York City. Anthony marketed this camera as the Schmid Detective camera.

Sadly, I don't own a Schmid Detective camera. Why not follow this link to the George Eastman House where you can
view one from their collection?

George Eastman - Camera, 1889
This patent with the modest name "Camera", details George Eastman's design for his string-set sector shutter. The first Kodak camera introduced in 1888 employed a unique barrel form of shutter mechanism. The sector shutter was a departure toward simplicity thus reducing
cost and increasing reliability. The sector shutter was introduced with the No.1 Kodak camera in 1889 and used on subsequent string-set Kodak models as well.Photo and description of No. 2 Kodak camera with sector shutter

T. H. Blair - Camera, 1890
(Hawk-Eye Detective Camera)
This is one of various patents for the Hawk-Eye Detective camera issued to
Thomas H. Blair of the Blair Camera Company. The Hawk-Eye Detective was
originally produced by the Boston Camera Company in 1888. Blair
purchased Boston Camera Company in 1890 and continued to improve and sell
the Hawk-Eye camera for nearly a decade. This large wood box camera
took 4 x 5 inch photographs on glass plates. You'll notice
similarities and differences between the camera in my collection, which is
a later
improved model, and the features and design covered in this patent.Photo and description of a Blair
Hawk-Eye Detective camera

Ray
J. Monner - Exposure Meter, 1939 (Pupilometer)
Since the earliest days of photography an interesting variety of inventive
methods have been developed to assist the photographer to arrive at a
correct exposure. This patented and marketed device is to my mind
one of the most interesting. It is based upon the concept that the
size of a photographer's eye pupil varies in proportion to the amount of
light illuminating the scene. By measuring the relative
size of the pupil, and comparing this to a chart of pupil sizes, the chart
would reveal the correct shutter speed and lens aperture settings for a
particular film.Photo and description of the Monner Exposure Meter

Heinz Kilfitt -
Photographic Camera, 1936 (Robot Camera)
The Robot camera was the invention of Heinz Kilfitt of Schweim, Germany, a
prolific photographic inventor and entrepeneur. Heinz Kilfitt sold his patent to Hans Berning who formed
Otto Berning and Company to manufacture and market Robot cameras.
This is the USA Robot patent, applied for in 1935 and issued in
1936. The German patent, not shown, was applied-for in 1934.
The USA patent gives a thorough explanation of the workings of this
amazing little spring-motor automatic advance camera.Photo and description of a 1954 Robot Junior camera

One of the
patent's important claims, is that this design is an improvement over other
panoramic cameras in that the lens does not require capping before tensioning
the mechanism. It is interesting to see how this was achieved.
This improvement addressed a weakness in the Al-Vista panoramic camera design
that required capping as the lens was swung into its firing position. Photos and descriptions of Kodak Panoram and Al-Vista panoramic cameras

Because the Argus A
was inexpensive to manufacture, and yet provided good features and quality, it
had a profound effect on the acceptance of 35mm photography by the general
public.Photos and description of an Argus A camera

James
B. Cummins, Theodore R. Kolter - Sequence Camera, 1965 (Graph-Check Sequence
Camera)
The Graph-Check Sequence camera creates eight still sequential photographs of
a moving subject. The eight images are recorded on a single sheet of standard
4x5 inch Polaroid film. The time
interval between successive exposures is adjustable from approximately 1
second to 1/80 second. This novel camera is equipped with eight separate
lenses and shutters. Although the Graph-Check is considered to be a
specialized-use camera, its inventors intended the Graph-Check to be used by
laymen. The camera was primarily marketed to athletics coaches and
golfers.

Lewis H. Moomaw - High Speed Camera, 1937
(Bell & Howell Foton)
Filed in 1935 and granted in 1937, this patent by Lewis H. Moomaw was assigned to the
Folmer Graflex Corporation, makers of Graflex and Graphic cameras. I
can only speculate that Bell & Howell purchased or licensed the patent rights
from Folmer Graflex.

I thought a camera as unique as the Foton would have been protected by a
patent, but after long hours of research I gave up looking. Then I
was contacted by a gentleman who owns what appears to be an early version of
the Foton. He told me his camera is marked with two patent
numbers and passed along the information. Thanks to Mr. David Jones
for his help!Photos and description of the Bell & Howell Foton
camera

More patents on the way...

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